Does it make sense to launch an eveningwear label in 2017? On one hand, the red carpet has never been so obsessed over; on the other, women with dollars to spend aren’t necessarily looking for one-and-done gowns. They want a dress they can wear to a black-tie gala or a black-tie–optional wedding (whatever that means), and they don’t want to look stuffy on either occasion. Chances are most fashion-inclined women can relate to this predicament; as Marina Moscone puts it, we want clothes that “fit into a lot of contexts.”

The designer, who launched her eponymous label one year ago, addresses that need with sculptural cocktail dresses, relaxed suits, and elevated daywear. After a longtime stint at Peter Som, she’s well versed in all of those categories, but even her fanciest stuff is remarkably flexible. For instance, a handful of floor-length caftans in sunset-striped silk or icy blue satin could be worn three (or more) ways: as a regular gown, with every covered button fastened; reversed as a dramatic, caped-back evening top; or open over a bikini or a pair of jeans. Does Moscone really think her customer will wear a high-grade caftan on the beach? In a word, yes—in fact, that’s how she remembers stylish women dressing in Italy, where she spent summers as a child. “Unlike now, the days felt so long back then,” she said. Those warm memories are no doubt an endless source of inspiration; they informed the “heated” color palette and Riviera stripes, as well. But it’s the collection’s breezy, unencumbered state of mind (real or imagined) that stays with you—how many days until summer 2018?